1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to information cards, such as identification or authorization cards, and more particularly, to a card assembly and methodology for permitting high quality xerographic printing of information cards.
2. Related Art
The use of information cards has become an integral part of our society. In the context of this document, information cards include any form of identification or authorization card, for example, credit cards, check cards, automatic teller machine (ATM) cards, membership cards, department store cards, insurance policyholder cards, or the like. It is estimated that over 400 million information cards are produced and distributed annually in the United States alone, and this estimation is expected to substantially increase in the years to come.
At present, information cards are produced in a variety of constructions. One type, considered the high end of the industry, is fabricated from a rigid, thick plastic or vinyl material, and comprises embossed alphanumeric data for customization to a particular cardholder. Embossing is implemented either by raising or by depressing personalized data in the information card. Embossing is desireable because embossing provides for virtually tamper-proof customization.
The printing of artwork, designs, and other information are placed on the embossed information cards by the card manufacturer via a variety of complex techniques, which are well known in the art. One such technique is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,350 to Dorner, which is incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full hereinbelow.
The embossed information cards offer many advantages. Most significantly, they are extremely durable and virtually tamper-proof. However, these information cards are bulky, expensive to manufacture, and require the use of an expensive embossing machine or embossing service in order to ultimately customize the information cards with pertinent cardholder information before distribution of the cards.
Another type of information card construction, considered the low end of the industry, comprises merely a piece of paperboard which may be laminated, if desired, with a protective coating for protection against moisture or other destructive exposure. To fabricate this type of information card, a piece of paperboard stock is die cut to form a card, or perforations defining numerous cards are imposed in a large paperboard sheet. Designs and/or other information are then printed onto the surfaces of the card(s). Next, the card(s) is laminated, if desired, with a clear plastic protective coating.
The paperboard information cards are often desirable for certain applications because they are inexpensive to manufacture, are flexible, and exhibit a very thin cross section. Because of the flexibility and thin cross section, many of these cards can be placed in a wallet with less bulk and more comfort than the embossed information cards. However, these information cards are problematic in that they are not durable. They ultimately become dilapidated and unsightly due to continuous bending. Also, if the information cards are taken from a perforated larger paperboard sheet during manufacture, the edges of these cards do not have the protective coating and, therefore, are eventually harmed by moisture or the like.
Yet another type of information card which has become popular in recent years comprises a thin plastic sheet. During construction of this type of card, designs and other pertinent information are provided via printing operations and then subsequent curing or lamination processes, which are well known in the art. The thin plastic information cards have the advantages of low cost, durability, flexibility, and very thin cross section. As a result of these many advantages, the trend in the industry appears to be toward adoption of this type of card construction for most applications.
Furthermore, all the aforementioned cards, i.e., the embossed, thin plastic, and paperboard information cards, can be provided with laminate, customization surface layers which are bonded to the outer surface of the information cards by the manufacturer of the cards. A customization surface layer is a blank region, usually white in color but may include any color tint or any void feature of under-printing beneath the print panel, for permitting certain information to be affixed to the information card after manufacture. For example, a cardholder's signature can be preserved on the information card on a customization surface layer. Moreover, a customization surface layer can receive and preserve print from an impact printer, for example, a conventional dot matrix printer.
However, as is generally known in the art, information printed to the customization surface layers of information cards by impact printing is of low quality, often smears, and is considered unsightly for many applications. The printing capability, versatility, and speed of impact printers is also inferior to a certain extent in comparison to those printers which utilize a xerographic process, including for example, the process of laser printing. Thus, a need exists in the industry for a technique to provide better quality printing to customization surface layers of information cards during post-processing steps.